A recent policy passed by the Brazilian postal service (Correios) has frustrated foreigners across the country. The policy will impose a R$15 (approximately US$4) fee to recipients of mail arriving from abroad. For foreigners living in Brazil who frequently receive international packages, this fee presents what many consider to be an unnecessary onus.
Foreigners who have made Brazil their home have had to swallow long waits while packages sit at customs for extended periods of time. They also have had to deal with outrageously high taxes (sometimes up to 100%), which are applied on most items imported from abroad. According to the Rio Times, the new fee just adds to an already unfavorable relationship between foreigners and the Brazilian postal service.
The postal service released a statement justifying the fee, saying, "with the increase in imports, the company needed to inject more resources into the operation to maintain the service standard."
The fee is not meant to cover freight or taxes (which are separate fees), but rather to cover the internal processing of packages. This includes, for example, x-ray inspections and customs support services. Additionally, activities such as dealing with items that are labeled as forbidden or dangerous, and processing the receipt of items bought online, are included in the fee.
To retrieve items from international mail, customers must locate the item through an online tracking system and pay the fee with either a bank slip or credit card. Only after payment is made will the item be released.
News of the new fee did not go over well with expatriates living in Brazil. For foreigners, it is just one more cost of doing business in Brazil. The new policy went into effect on August 27.